Technical leads of the Africa RISING project in West Africa, East and Southern Africa and Ethiopia took part in a cross learning exchange on sustainable intensification from 28 January to 4 February. The event was organized by donors funding projects on sustainable intensification in Africa and South Asia. A diverse and multi-institutional group of 50 participants from USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID’s Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab, the Innovation Lab for Small-scale Irrigation, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), CIMMYT, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) attended the event and shared perspectives on sustainable intensification in African and South Asian contexts. This photo trip report presents highlights and pictures of the event from the perspective of Africa RISING scientists who took part in the exchange visit.

1. Photo Report
Africa RISING - Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia
(CSISA) Sustainable Intensification Cross Learning Tour
Delhi, Bihar and Odisha – INDIA
28 Jan – 4 Feb, 2015

2. INTRODUCTION
The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) hosted 13 representatives from
USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Africa RISING, USAID’s Sustainable
Intensification Innovation Lab and the Innovation Lab for Small-scale Irrigation in
India and Bangladesh to share perspectives on sustainable intensification in African
and South Asian contexts.
The group began the tour on 28 January with a full-day program in Delhi to discuss
the approaches taken by sustainable intensification projects, perspectives of
donors and the current status and future direction of CSISA as a regional initiative.
They later visited CSISA project sites in Bihar and Odisha, India, from 29 Jan until 4
February, 2015.

3. PARTICIPANTS AT THE CROSS-LEARNING TOUR

4. The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) was established in 2009 to promote durable change at
scale in South Asia’s cereal-based cropping systems. CSISA supports regional and national efforts to improve
cereal production growth in South Asia’s Indo-Gangetic Plains, home to the region’s most important grain
baskets. The project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID. It has ongoing activities
in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
ABOUT CSISA

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE CROSS-LEARNING TOUR
1. To see what CSISA is doing in a different
geographic and socio-economic context
compared to Africa RISING
2. To interact with different stakeholders
involved with the CSISA project and get first
hand information about the technologies
being introduced by the project
3. To see whether there are certain
technologies and implementation strategies
that Africa RISING could learn from CSISA
and vice versa

6. AFRICA RISING AND CSISA
SIMILARITIES
1. Both projects work on
cereal based systems
2. Both projects are set up to
sustainably intensify these
systems
3. They are multi-
partner/multi- institutional
initiatives
CONTRASTS
1. CSISA started from a higher baseline. The
systems in eastern India are already more
intensified than those of the 3 Africa
RISING projects
2. The private sector and the national research
systems are stronger in India hence they
play a greater role in the project
3. Technology uptake is facilitated by
government subsidies
4. Africa RISING relies more on partner
institutions for implementation while CSISA
has core project staff implementing
activities
5. CSISA has a much larger on-station research
component that Africa RISING
6. Africa RISING has a more participatory and
holistic approach
7. CSISA has a strong emphasis on zero tillage
as a component of conservation agriculture

7. A farmer demonstrates rice transplanting using a two-wheel tractor to reduce drudgery on women who
usually do rice transplanting

8. INSET: Participants view a demonstration of a rice straw chopper. The device can be powered electrically or
manually. Chopping the rice straw enhances its feed value.

9. CSISA has a strong emphasis on zero
tillage. In the picture is a direct seeder
that the project is promoting. The
machine simultaneously drops the seed
and applies the basal fertilizer in
unploghed soil. Direct seeding saves
time for land preparation thereby allows
farmers to grow an additional crop per
year thus intensifying the production
system.

10. Africa RISING scientists Mateete Bekunda from IITA (right) and Kindu Mekonnen from ILRI (left) look at a
mechanical seeder manufactured for use by small scale farmers in India. The mechanical seeder is
manufactured through a public-private partnership between CSISA and the private sector. INSET: A hand-
held seeder for row planting.

11. RIGHT: A hand-held fertilizer broadcaster on display. LEFT: A hermatic grain storage bag which is being
promoted by CSISA to reduce post-harvest losses. Africa RISING also promotes use of the bag in Africa.

12. “This study tour provided us insight in the work of our colleagues. Though both,
Africa RISING and CSISA are working towards intensification of cereal based
farming systems, I think there are more differences than commonalities between
the two Programs. This is due to the different frame conditions in which the
smallholders operate. We could clearly see how government subsidies help
adoption of technologies. Though we cannot change government policies in
Africa, we have seen a lot of affordable ad feasible options for mechanization of
small holder farm activities which we can introduce in Africa and which will be
beneficial to African small scale farmers such as the use of two wheel tractors for
line sowing and fertilizer application, fodder choppers, axial flow pumps. We also
learned that it is an advantage to have a team of scientists who are almost
fulltime available for the program and not only dedicate a small fraction of their
time. ”
Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon (IITA)
“Such exchanges between sister projects in different
parts of the world are beneficial for partners engaged
in sustainable intensification projects to learn from
each others’ experiences , refine project
implementation and consequently improve the
livelihoods of the small holder farmers. ”
Bekunda Mateete and Asamoah Larbi (IITA)

13. “We would like to thank our CSISA colleagues for
their hospitality and excellent organizational
arrangements. We also very much enjoyed the
company of our colleagues from the IITA-managed
West Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa, Africa
RISING projects.”
Peter Thorne and Kindu Mekonnen (ILRI)
“Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for Next Generation”.
www.africa-rising.net